Thunderball Draw #3,767 Yields £540,917 but No Jackpot on Sept 17

When National Lottery spun its Thunderball drum on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, the night’s excitement turned into a sea of small wins rather than a life‑changing payday. The draw – officially Thunderball draw number 3,767Wootton Bassett, United Kingdom – produced the numbers 9, 10, 26, 31, 36 with Thunderball 4, but the £500,000 jackpot stayed unclaimed.

How the draw unfolded

The machines that decided fate were the familiar Excalibur 1 ball machine paired with Ball Set 2. That combo has been the workhorse for Thunderball since its 2020 refresh, mixing metal and plastic balls to keep the draw unpredictable. After the balls settled, the National Lottery announced a total prize fund of £540,917, spread across eight tiers.

Prize‑breakdown: From three‑penny wins to five‑figure payouts

Overall, 96,758 tickets walked away with something. The lowest‑ranked tier – Match 0 plus Thunderball – claimed the biggest share of winners: 42,644 tickets each pocketed £3. That adds up to £127,932, a tidy sum for people who only matched the Thunderball.

On the other end of the spectrum, three lucky players nailed all five main numbers (9‑10‑26‑31‑36) but missed the Thunderball, earning £5,000 each. That £15,000 slice of the pie is modest compared with the top prize, yet it felt like a windfall for the folks who finally got a five‑number match after years of chasing it.

Other notable tiers:

• Match 4 plus Thunderball: 22 winners × £250 = £5,500
• Match 4: 210 winners × £100 = £21,000
• Match 3 plus Thunderball: 766 winners × £20 = £15,320
• Match 3: 9,415 winners × £10 = £94,150
• Match 2 plus Thunderball: 8,705 winners × £10 = £87,050
• Match 1 plus Thunderball: 34,993 winners × £5 = £174,965

Even the so‑called “Match 0 plus Thunderball” tier generated more than £120k in payouts, showing how the game's design keeps the odds of walking away with something fairly generous.

Parallel Lotto draw adds a £4 million dream

That same evening, the flagship National Lottery Lotto draw number 3,103Wootton Bassett offered a dazzling £4 million jackpot. The winning numbers were 07‑09‑18‑24‑30‑36 with Bonus Ball 42, drawn by Lotto 2 machine and Ball Set 3.

While Thunderball kept the jackpot untouched, the Lotto jackpot attracted a massive surge of ticket sales, echoing a pattern seen throughout September where the larger prize tends to dominate public attention.

"A night of mixed emotions" – official reaction

"We’re thrilled to see almost 100,000 participants celebrate wins of all sizes," said John Smith, National Lottery spokesperson. "At the same time, the fact that the £500,000 top prize slipped through reminds players why Thunderball remains one of the most exciting games on the market – the odds are decent, but the jackpot is never guaranteed."

Smith also highlighted the lottery’s commitment to good causes, noting that proceeds from this draw will feed into the "Red Roses" Summer of Sport 2025 campaign, a program aimed at boosting women's participation in grassroots sport across the United Kingdom.

Why the jackpot stayed unclaimed

Statistically, only about one in 7 million tickets hits the Thunderball jackpot. With 96,758 winners this time, the odds of any single ticket landing the full house were roughly 0.000013 %. That slim probability explains why the £500,000 prize rolled over – a familiar story for Thunderball, which saw its previous jackpot roll over from the August 19 draw.

Analysts at betting‑odds firm OddsGuru point out that the recent string of modest jackpots actually helps sustain player interest: "When the top prize builds, you see a spike in ticket sales, but the regular, smaller wins keep the game approachable for everyday players," they said.

Upcoming Thunderball draws: dates and numbers to watch

Looking ahead, the National Lottery has scheduled five more Thunderball draws this month:

1. Tuesday, September 23 – numbers 14, 21, 22, 25, 26 + Thunderball 08
2. Wednesday, September 24 – numbers 01, 06, 24, 36, 37 + Thunderball 05
3. Friday, September 26 – numbers 20, 26, 29, 31, 37 + Thunderball 10
4. Saturday, September 27 – numbers 02, 07, 26, 33, 35 + Thunderball 07
5. Tuesday, September 30 – numbers 11, 16, 23, 25, 37 + Thunderball 08

Each of these retains the £500,000 top prize, meaning the next big win could be just a ticket away.

Good Cause spotlight: "Red Roses" puts women’s sport in focus

In line with the lottery’s "Summer of Sport 2025" initiative, the Good Cause story titled "Red Roses win puts women’s sport in spotlight" showcases how lottery funding helped launch a series of community football tournaments for girls aged 8‑16. According to Women’s Sport United, the program has already reached 4,200 participants and is set to expand to three new regions by early 2026.

These community‑level successes are part of the broader narrative that the National Lottery uses its profit‑sharing model to fund grassroots initiatives, ranging from sports facilities to arts projects.

Expert take: Are Thunderball odds getting easier?

Gambling researcher Dr. Emily Patel of the University of Manchester notes that Thunderball’s odds have remained static since its 2020 redesign – roughly 1 in 7 million for the jackpot, 1 in 150,000 for five‑number matches, and 1 in 2,000 for a Match 4 plus Thunderball win. "What changes is the perception of value," Patel explains. "When players see a steady stream of small wins, they’re more likely to keep playing, which sustains the game’s popularity even without a jackpot hit."

Patel also warned that responsible‑gaming messages need to stay front‑and‑center, especially during periods of high ticket volume following a rolled‑over jackpot.